Automatic throw-off for screen door latches



Aug. 23, 1960 M. M. CHECK AU'IOMATIC THROW-OFF FOR SCREEN DOOR LATCHES Filed Oct. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

'VIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Aug. 23, 1966 M. M. CHECK 2,950,137

AUTOMATIC THROW-OFF FOR SCREEN DOOR LATCHES Filed Oct. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAW/14 /2 CHECK BY (2' Z Arrow/va ilnited States Patent AUTOMATIC TEEQW-OFF FOR SCREEN DOOR LATCHES Mathias M. Check, Valley Forge, Pa., assignor to The Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Oct. 24, 1957, Ser. No. 692,064

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-228) This invention relates to a screen or storm door latch of the type that is shown in the patent to Ledin, No. 2,435,180.

The latches of the particular type utilize a handle that is mounted for rotation on a door, with a spring pressed latchbolt that is mounted for movement on the handle whereby to coact with a strike on the door frame. When the door moves to closed position, the strike will depress the latchbolt relatively to the handle, after which the latchbolt moves to latching position behind the strike. The latches of that type have had rather wide acceptance, but have presented certain difiiculties in those cases in which the latch is equipped with locking means.

Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the latching movement of the latchbolt can take place when the handle is locked. Also, it may sometimes happen that the locking means are moved to locking position while the door is open, the door then being allowed to close. In those circumstances, it will be obvious that a person passing to the outside of the door may unintentionally lock himself out since he cannot then rotate the handle in order to open the door. It is the purpose of my invention to provide a novel lock that will have the valuable features of the latches of the type described, but that will not allow a person to lock himself out through accident.

in the novel construction that I have conceived, I utilize a locking member that moves between locking and release positions relatively to the handle. I then utilize means whereby the latchbolt, when depressed on its mounting relatively to the handle, will move the locking member to release position. Therefore, should the handle be locked when the door closes, the strike by acting against the latchbolt will release the handle for rotation. Through my invention, I am able to construct a lock that has the rather considerable advantages of a latch of the Ledin type, while eliminating the possibility that a person will be locked out through the unintentional or accidental closing of the door with the locking member in locking position.

As a particular feature of my novel lock, I form the locking member with a portion that moves into locking relation to the handle of the lock, and a part that is in opposed relation to the latchbolt on the handle. Further, I form the latchbolt with a surface that is in coacting relation to the opposed part of the locking member when the member is in locking position. Through that coacting relation, the strike when depressed will move the locking member to release position.

I have thus outlined my invention rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that Will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claim appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utlized as a basis for "ice the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claim be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan View showing my novel lock mounted on a door.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is like Fig. 3 but illustrates the action of the latchbolt when moving the locking member to release position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing parts of my lock.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I show a preferred form of my lock having inside and outside mounting plates 10, 11, through which the lock is mounted on a door 12. In Fig. 2 I show those inside and outside mounting plates 1% and 11 secured in position through rather usual threaded portions 13 On the outside mounting plate 11, and screws 14 engaged in openings in the inside mounting plate 10. An outside knob 15 is mounted for rotation on outside mounting plate 11 through suitable means, not shown in detail, and a handle 16 is mounted to rotate on inside mounting plate It A spindle 17 is secured to handle 16, as by a cross-pin 18, that spindle being so engaged with outside knob 15 as to cause the knob 15 and handle in to rotate together, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

I utilize in my invention a latchbolt 20 that is pivoted to the handle 16 through a pivot pin 21, and that is pressed to a latching position by a spring 22 mounted on pin 21 and engaged between the handle 16 and latchbolt 29. In the particular construction that I have chosen to illustrate, the latchbolt 20 is formed with a curved shape whereby to extend around and enclose the spring 22 and a portion of handle 16. Also, as is well shown in Fig. 1, the pivot pin 21 is arranged a substantial distance from the face of the door 12, with the latchbolt 213 in latching position extending from that pin 21 toward the door at one side of the axis in which handle 16 rotates. Thereby a latching surface 23 on latchbolt 28 can engage behind a strike 24 on the door frame 25 to hold the door closed. Of course, when the door 12 moves to closed position, the strike 24- will act momentarily to rotate latchbolt 26 on its pivot out of latching position against the pressure of spring 22.

Actually, the latchbolt and handle arrangement I have thus far described is somewhat like that shown in the patent to Behnke, No. 2,707,121. As in the Behnke patent, the handle '16 or knob 15 when rotated will act to rotate the latchbolt 20 bodily, whereby to move its latching surfaces 23 out of coacting relation to strike 24. When the door closes, the handle 16 and knob 15 need not rotate, and the latchbolt 20 Will be depressed merely through contact with the strike 24.

In the exceedingly novel construction that I have now conceived, I utilize for locking the handle 16 and knob 15 a locking member or slide 26 that slides vertically on the inside mounting plate. As best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the slide 26 has a locking opening 27, that opening moving into locking relation to the spindle 17 when slide 26 moves to locking position, as in Fig. 3. The locking slide 26 has also a part 28, Figs. 2 to 5, that moves in a slot 30 in mounting plate 10 and that is so formed as to lie in opposed relation to a portion 29 on latch bolt 20. When the slide 26 is in locking position, as in Figs. 3 and 5, the part 28 actually will lie in juxtaposed relation to a cam surface 31 that I form on the latchbolt portion 29. The arrangement is such that the cam surface 31 will act through the slide part 28 when the latchbolt 20 is depressed, as shown in Fig. 4, to move the locking slide 26 to release position. That particular action will eliminate any possibility that a person may become locked out'through accident, since the strike, by depressing the latchbolt 20'when the; door closes, will act automatically to-move locking slide '26 to'release; position.

It is exceedingly important to realize that I am able, through my invention, to achieve the automatic. release action I have described while utilizing the important features that are found in the locks of the particular type. Thus, as in the Behnke and Ledin'patents to which I- have already referred, I am able to contribute a lock mechanism that actually'is quite simple and that contributes extremely easy and dependable operation, :all as will "be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The particular manual means through which the locking slide 26 is moved are not important to an understanda ing of my invention, but for; the purposes of disclosure I show that slide 26 equipped with an inside button 32,

Figs. 2, 3 and 4, that moves in a slot in the inside mounting plate It I also show a lock cylinder 33 that may be utilized when it is desired to contribute key actuation of the slide 26 from the outside, that cylinder being adapted to move the slide through a cam 34.

I believe that the operation and the advantages of my exceedingly novel lock construction will be fully 4 for bodily rotation therewith and also for movement relatively to the axis in which the handle rotates, a spring pressing said latchbolt to move the lath bolt relatively to the handle for engagement with a strike, a locking slide mounted on the lock mounting member to slide in a direction transverse to the axis in which said handle rotates, a portion of said locking slide coacting with a part on said handle when said slide is in a locking position whereby to lock said handle, said portionof the locking slide when locking the handle being offset relatively to the latchbolt in a direction'along the handle axis .to leave the latchbolt free for movement relatively to the handle, so thatsaid latchbolt will move against its spring pressure through-contact Withthe strike, as when the door moves to closed position While the handle is unlocked and also-while the handle is locked, a further portion of said locking slide lying in the path of movement of a part of the latchbolt and juxtaposed to that part when said slide is, in locking position, and aficarn surface on said part of the latchbolt effective by the juxtaposed relation between that part and said further portion of the slide to engage and move said slide away from locking position when said latchbolt is moved through contact with the strike.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

